A holiday lunch

Are all your gifts unwrapped and all the piles of wrapping paper put in the trash or burn pile by now?  We have one more Christmas with my parents this week and  * poof * another Christmas will be history.  Seems like they fly by so fast anymore.  I must have been a really good girl this year though because I received some lovely goodies, but I will share more about those another day.


Last Thursday I took the time to have my bff over for lunch and I am so glad that I did. We used to get together a lot to craft, eat or shop {maybe even all three at once}, but it seems that we just don't find as much time these days for US.  This particular day we had a wonderful time talking, laughing , eating and solving the worlds problems. LOL

White chocolate snack mix that I make every year at Christmastime.

Apparantly I took this photo before I put the water in the glasses. oops!
I  used some fake pine garland that I had cut into smaller pieces and attached to the bottom of the goblets. No time to run out and get real greenery.

Script placemats topped with lace placemats

I even added several little paper stars that I had made a few weeks ago

The best turkey salad sandwiches that you will ever have. 
{source Pettisville Meats}

A few different kinds of cookies are always nice to have on hand and they were a yummy treat.

Rosemary Olive Oil potato chips...sooooo good!

Good ole H20 with lemon and lime slices. Too late I realized that I should have had a cranberry or two to add to the glasses, but I didn't have any on hand. It would have been a nice pop of color.

 I actually used paper napkins this time around. {hee hee} I will say looking at the photos now they do look a bit colorless, but there was also a bowl of pasta salad that had red tomatoes and green peppers in it so we did have a little color.  It was a fun day and it went by way too fast , but I hope we can do it again soon!

Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead as we prepare to ring in the New Year!
*2012*

Wisteria in bloom!

I went to my bff's house last week just to photograph

her gorgeous wisteria and here it is. They have two plants. one is his. one is hers.

This one that is blooming is his. It is taking over hers.

Hmmm...lol

I think it is just gorgeous no matter whose it is. :)

{ I was only allowed to photograph upwards because they are working on the house. lol}

This is her candytuft that she has planted on both

sides of her outside stairs that lead to her basement.

Love how it drapes over the sides!

Her potting shed cubby that her hubby made her.

Still haven't gotten mine made yet. I need to get hubby working on that asap!

Is this the cutest garden figurine or what?

Hope you enjoyed the photos today. It is raining here

again...and it is supposed to for the next few days.

This year is the strangest weather ever. I feel so bad

for all those out west affected by the tornados. One day life is moving along just fine and the next day

it is all wiped out. So many lives lost and so many

lives turned upside down. I am so very, very thankful

today for what I have.

Got a rude awakening today by snail mail.

Credit card charges to the tune of $138 for a credit

card that we haven't even activated. It was used to

purchase items in Virginia and California. Thank God

it wasn't for thousands of dollars. They are investigating.

How can someone use a credit card that I have in my

possession when I haven't called and activated it?

Another one of life's mysteries I suppose.

Seems very minor compared to what many people

have gone through this year so I am so very grateful.

It could be something so much worse.

Blessings~

The blessing of a best friend

...a real friend sticks closer than a brother."

Proverbs 18:24

Once again I have been overwhelmingly blessed

by my bestest and dearest friend in the whole

wide world.

Remember the post I did a couple days ago when

I went to that neat garage sale and found lots of

seam binding and other goodies?

Well...

...my dear friend Peggy happened to go to the same sale

{before I did}

and she picked up a couple things for me.

We met for lunch Friday at

Seasons Coffee and Bistro

and she handed me a bag with tissue paper

sticking out of it.

I knew it was not my birthday...

and certainly not Christmas,

{ain't ready for that yet!}

but just a regular day.

I was so surprised and giddy at the same time.

The first thing I pulled out of the bag was this

gorgeous glass shaker with the silver top.

I was stunned to find out when I got home that it

matched perfectly with my salt and peppers that I

found earlier this summer.

Love it when that happens!

She also gave me a cream color vintage pottery planter that is wonderful too, but I didn't get a picture taken of it yet. Maybe I can add it to my white Wednesday post this week.

Do you have a best friend?? I truly pray that you do and if you don't that one will come across your pathway soon. I can't imagine what I would do without her in my life. She is my go to person, we talk...and talk...and talk some more and she makes me laugh so hard at times I almost pee my pants. {now that is quite a friend...or it could be my age too. lol.}

Her life has gotten much busier, {she is a grandma now to two little ones and a farmer's wife...busy, busy, busy} and it seems that we are off running in different directions most of the time , but I pray that we always make the time for each other. always...always...always!

Love you my BFF!!

Blessings and friendship to each of you~

A faithful friend is the medicine of life...

...Ecclesiastes 6:16

I found this utensil/glass holder at Maribeth's when my sister was home visiting.

I adore it and just had to pick it up.

It spins and twirls and is so neat.

More buckets that I found on clearance at

TJ Maxx last week. The only two they had left.

Now...do you have a friend who is

your best and dearest friend??

One that will stick with you no matter

what??

I do and I am so thankful for her and

for what she means to me! {Peggy this is for you}

Her and I have sent each other cards for YEARS.

{even though we only live about 10 miles apart)

We send cards for birthdays, anniversaries,

and any other day you can think up...even no reason

cards! We have amassed quite a few and have slowed

down somewhat over the past several months. Part

of the reason due to card stores closing around here

and also because we have sent each other just about

every card out there!! LOL

One day we were chatting on the phone and she said, "I bought you something at a garage sale...just pretend

it is a card"...and the same thing was said in another

conversation and...when we finally got together

for HER birthday...

she gave me all kinds of treasures!

This silver bowl, the vintage silverware tied in a pretty

white ribbon, these vintage gloves and the wool sweater

in the photo above with the flower pin on it. I was blown away!! I love it all so much! I felt like

it was my birthday!

She is such a sweetheart and

no... I won't share her. lol. Thank you so much dear friend and may you

be blessed many times over for your kindness

to me!

I hope each one of you has a friend like I do...

they truly are the "medicine of life".

Blessings~

She...

cooks.cleans.laughs.cries.

hugs. shouts.sews.bakes.

washes.kisses.gardens. sweeps.folds.fluffs.reads. praises.mends.scrubs.dusts. soothes.molds.creates. shops.buys.decorates.cares.

prays.teaches.helps

encourages. protects. loves.

******************************************

Her children arise and call her blessed...

Proverbs 31:28

Happy Mother's Day!!

{posting a day early so I can take Mother's Day off}

Button, button...who's got the button?

I do!

Isn't this button gorgeous?

Do you notice the *S* monogram too?

I had my *birthday* lunch with my best friend

today and did she ever wow me with gifts.

I told her she went overboard, but I do love them all!

I was the recipient of a large white doily and pineapple

pincushion that was her grandmothers.

She also gave me two hankies with monogrammed *S* initials and this gorgeous button.

She had lovingly tucked each item inside a set of clear glass

canisters. I am going to use them to store some of my

vintage goodies such as lace, hankies etc.

Aren't they wonderful ??

Also included were these two pillows!

Thank you so much my dear friend!!

You made my day...

my month...

well actually my year!! :) I will always treasure our friendship !

As if that were not enough she also bought

me lunch at Seasons Bistro

and I had a cranberry turkey panini

that was so yummy!! {along with chips and a pickle spear}

I just have to share the card she gave me too.

It said on the front:

"How can we be getting older?"

then on the inside, "we still don't know what we want to be

when we grow up!"...lol.

I hope each one of you has a dear friend that you can count

on through thick or thin, good times and bad

and if you don't , then that is my wish for you.

Blessings~

A Special Birthday and THANK YOU ~

My best friend turned 50 on June 26th.

BUT We couldn't get our schedules arranged to have her birthday lunch

until yesterday.

This was my birthday gift to her~

I wrapped brown craft paper around the gift (a piece of pottery)...

and also added brown paper shred in the top ~ Embellished it with seam binding ribbon

and

a homemade flashcard along with a sticker or two...vintage style ~

This is the pottery piece that I purchased at

my favorite store...

HOME GOODS ~

I also typed up 50 reason I love having her for a friend,

folded them up

and

put them in a jar.

She can take one out every day and read it or read them all at once ~

(Pookie don't look at the next picture unless you have read every slip of paper in the jar)

Here are some of them.

I used different fonts for different adjectives

and also added the definition of each adjective

along with my own thoughts on a few of them.

I had a lot of fun doing this.

A birthday to remember...the big 50!!

I also want to say a most heartfelt

THANK YOU

to all of you who read my post yesterday

and emailed me to offer encouragement.

I feel so blessed to have your support.

I love the land of blog.

Blessings ~